Dominican Republic

The United Nations emphasizes that Haiti is in a dire situation and now is not the time to deport Haitians. The majority of deportations take place from the Dominican Republic with neither due process nor advance notice to the Haitian authorities responsible for receiving them. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports 154,333 Haitians were expelled by the Dominican Republic last year - about 87% of all deportations to Haiti in 2022.  It is true that insecurity in Haiti affect the Dominican Republic as well - but conducting mass deportations only makes a bad situation worse - politically, economically, and for human rights. The full article by Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald follows. 

The Dominican Republic (DR) is again rounding up thousands of Haitian migrants, as well as people who just look Haitian, and deporting them.  The DR has drawn criticism for sending unaccompanied children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable people to a country that is in political and economic turmoil.  More than 20,000 people, Haitian and otherwise, have been deported in a day period this month alone.  As UNICEF put it, "These are not deportations.  It is persecution based on race.:" Even the United States has warned Americans with darker skin to stay away.  Deportees are placed at great risk, Haiti is further destabilised, and the DR again demonstrates its disregard for human rights. The full article by Al Jazeera follows. 

Haitian-Canadian filmmaker Michèle Stephenson’s documentary, Stateless, was the centrepiece film of this year’s Toronto Black Film Festival - which, due to COVID-19, was conducted online,  It examines the strained relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and the consequences, sometimes violent, for Haitian migrant laborers and Dominicans of Haitian descent who, despite having been born in the Dominican Republic, continue to be denied citizenship due to racism and xenophobia.  A review by Sarah-Tai Black follows - a trailer is posted on The National Film Board of Canada’s Media Library and the documentary itself will follow. 

Haiti and the Dominican Republic have always had a complicated relationship.  Much of this is due to different interpetrations of, and not coming to terms with, historical events.  One such event was the "Parsley Massacre" of 1937 during which the Dominican military executed both Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent.  It is unclear how many were killed during the massacre.  An article by NPR contributors Marlon Bishop and Tatiana Fernandez on the impact of the massace for families on both sides of the border dollows. 

Stateless persons are not recognized as citizens of any country.  They are often vulnerable to exploitation due to a lack of access to health care, education, work, and justice.  It is a major problem in the Dominican Republic where the the government has long been reluctant to grant citizenship to Dominicans of Haitian descent.  Last week, the Haitian Parliament voted to accede to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, making it the third member state of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the 69th country in the world to do so.  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued a statement praising Haiti for its committment. To become involved, consider joining UNHCR's "I Belong" Campaign to End Statelessness. 

While there is not an active Peace Corps program in Haiti,  the organization continues to make a difference in Haiti through the 507 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who served between 1982-1987, 1990-1991, and 1996-2005.  In March, Peace Corps/Friends of Haiti (PCFOH)  became the newest “Friends Of” Group to be recognized by the National Peace Corps Association.   You don’t have to be an RPCV to get involved!  Take a look at our temporary website (we'll improve it as time goes on), join in discussions about Haitian development issues, and feel free to reach out to us with your feedback and ideas.

Partners in Health (PIH) is one of Haiti’s most important health oriented non governmental organizations, with a model based more on solidarity and human rights than on charity.  In addition to its development activities, PIH has at times been called on to be a humanitarian responder such as during both Gonaives floods and most recently the earthquake.  PIH also operates in Rwanda, Burundi, Lesotho, Russia, and numerous other countries.  Below are highlights from the PIH 2010 Annual Report, which include construction of the largest public hospital outside of Port au Prince, in the city of Mirebalais.

Attached and copied below is a Refugees International (RI) report concerning opportunities to build on the bilateral relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR) which has markedly improved since the earthquake.  The DR rightfully deserves credit for the solidarity showed to its neighbors in the weeks and months after the earthquake.  This solidarity now provides a foundation upon which to address challenges in the bilateral relationship, for the benefit of both countries, such as migration management and statelessness.